Fifth Wheel Towing with 2018 Ram 2500 Crew Cab with 1,820 lb Hitch Weight

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Question:

My wife and I are looking at a Grand Design Reflection 31mb 5th wheel. The hitch weight on the trailer is listed at 1,820 lbs. The max payload of the truck is 2,380 lbs 560 lb difference. That does not leave a lot of room for passengers and cargo. In your opinion is this too close to the max payload rating. I will be adding airbags no matter which way I go to level the ride. Truck is 2018 Ram 2500 Crew Cab, 4x4, 6.7 cummins, G56 manual transmission. 3.42 gears. Max tow rating is 16,210 lbs, trailer GVWR is 10,995 lbs. Tow capacity is not the issue, just payload. Appreciate your time.

asked by: Jason

1

Helpful Expert Reply:

The 2,380 payload on your 2018 Ram 2500 does include the passengers, so you will need to take that into consideration. The manufacturer does set the max capacity so they are not liable if you overload your truck, so you will need to determine what you are comfortable with. 5th Wheel Pin weight is not the same as payload because the payload is spread out over the entire truck bed where the 5th wheel hitch rail system is mounted directly to the frame and specifically over the rear axle.

Adding air bags will level the ride, but will not increase your capacity as the manufacturer sets that number based on their testing which doesn't include 5th wheel towing. You will also want to consider if the hitch weight dry is 1,820, or if that is the maximum hitch weight when loaded to GVWR capacity.

For your 2018 Ram 2500, I recommend the Firestone Ride-Rite Air Helper Springs - Double Convoluted - Rear Axle # F2598 which is compatible with an in-bed hitch and is rated to help support up to 5,000 lbs for load leveling. You may also want to consider a compressor for adjustability as needed, so I recommend the Air Lift WirelessONE Compressor System for Air Helper Springs - Hand-Held Remote - Single Path # AL25980 which will work well for your application and will not require running air lines into your cab to monitor and adjust pressure. I've attached videos to assist.

expert reply by: Jason S

1

Answer 1

The 2018 Ram 2500 Power Wagon does indeed have a suspension setup which offers more travel than the other models. However, the range of motion for all of the airbags kits we offer for your truck will be sufficient for any situation you will encounter…

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Answer 2

The Firestone Ride-Rite Air Helper Springs #F2598 on your 2015 Ram 2500 should definitely not feel like the axle is driving through the top of your bed. The issue likely is that the 5 psi you have them inflated to isn't enough for the load you…

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Answer 3

You'll set the hitch height so that the fifth wheel is towed level. Jack the fifth wheel on level ground, and measure the height above ground on the pin box (not the king pin, but the underside of the pin box or skid plate). Then, measure how…

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Answer 4

I did some checking and the hub/drum we offer that will work for you is the part #8-430-5UC3. This uses the same bearings as the 8-415 and will be an exact fit aside from the fact this is a non-ABS setup and the 8-415 came in an ABS setup and non-ABS…

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Answer 5

If you are needing the hub and drum assembly then you will want to go with the Dexter Trailer Hub and Drum Assembly #8-201-5UC3-EZ but if you are just looking for an idler hub then you will want part #8-213-5UC1 instead. These come with the correct…

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Answer 6

I've never heard of an actual third brake light connector on a camper shell to plug in on a truck and we don't carry any parts to do that. The light generally needs to be hardwired into the truck's brake light circuit. The issue with this…

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Answer 7

You will have to go with a sliding hitch to allow the trailer to make tight turns. For a trailer 8 feet wide the only bed length that's going to allow 90 degree turns without a slider is a stationary hitch. That being said you have two options.…

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Answer 8

The number you provided, "7753400" is a patent number which corelates to the Equalizer for E-Z Flex Suspension part #013-144-03. This is for a single equalizer but if you need the entire kit it's the Dexter E-Z Flex Suspension Kit part…

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Answer 9

What you're going to need is two of the transfer switches in that case. I have attached a diagram from Furrion that shows you how you're going to need to hook the two transfer switches #F30ATS up: -one to the other, then one branching off to…

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Answer 10

For your enclosed trailer application I have several suggestions for adding interior lighting that you can control directly via a switch. Since your current 4-pole trailer wiring does NOT include a 12V auxiliary power feed that could power inside…

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Answer 11

The only way you could power interior dome lights on a trailer without it being connected to a tow vehicle would be to power the lights with a battery like a breakaway battery. How you choose to wire up the batteries will in the end be up to you, but…

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Answer 12

The manual lockout on your Atwood 85778 surge brake coupler is there so that you can back up the trailer without the brakes locking up on you. Yes you can safely tow your trailer with the broken manual lockout, you just have to make sure you…

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Fifth Wheel Towing with 2018 Ram 2500 Crew Cab with 1,820 lb Hitch Weight

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